Richie Owens

Redemption

Owepar Records

Growing up, it was harder for Richie Owens to find relatives who weren’t making music than for those who were. His  grandfather, the Rev. Jake Owens was a fire and brimstone preacher, a songwriter, a music teacher, and an old-time country fiddler who could tear up a tune on ‘The Devil’s Box’ on a Saturday night. He reared a family of eight children who became musicians, singers, and storytellers, passing their birthright on to their descendents. Richie’s father, Louis  Owens, was a singer, songwriter, guitar player, record  producer and DIY country music entrepreneur who played an important role in helping to build the career of his niece, Dolly Parton.

By the time Richie was a teenager, he was a rock fan like any kid growing up in the 1970s. Richie fused his love for the Beatles with bluegrass, resulting in him being a founding father of the alternative rock scene with his 1980s bands “The Resistors” and “The Movement”. His label Neo Records, was one of the first Nashville-based indie rock labels. Over the next several decades Richie worked with a varied list of artists including The Georgia Satellites, Social Distortion, The Kentucky Headhunters, Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Vince Gill, and many more. Richie produced Dolly Parton’s 1998 album, “Hungry Again”; her 1999 gospel album “Precious Memories”; and the 2024 Dolly Parton & Family album, “Smoky Mountain DNA”; along with backing Dolly on her many live appearances.

At the same time, Richie stayed true to his family storytelling as a songwriter and kept the faith through his bands “Richie Owens & The Farm Bureau, and The Smoky White Devils. In 2020, following a series of personal tragedies, including the  death of his parents and brother, Richie began writing a series of songs that embodied all the musical threads of his career. Richie crafted the album, “Reconstruction”, and it was one of those great sonic game-changers that fit perfectly alongside his past work while pointing to a bold new direction. Staying true to his course, Richie drew deep from the same narrative for his current release “Redemption”.

The ensemble includes Richie, lead vocals, mandolin, electric guitar, keyboards, bass, and drum programming; Bob Ocker, lead electric guitar, 12 string guitar, lap steel, bass, and harmony vocals; Paul Hollowell, keyboard strings, piano, and Hammond  organ; Peter Keys, electric piano, wurlitzer, and Hammond organ; John Goleman, bass; Brian O’Hanlon, uda and percussion; Jason Fletcher, harmonica and harmony vocals; and John Reed,  harmony vocals. All songs were written by Richie Owens,  Bob Ocker, and Albert Styles.

The album opens with “Welcome To The Evening News” and the sound reminds me of Tom Petty as Richie sings “try to make  it right…can you tell me the truth…the sun comes out after the  night…how can you take the blame if your telling the truth… welcome to the evening show”. On “Sacrifice”, Richie chimes “I love to see you cry, but I hate to see you go…some affairs don’t burn, they just grow cold”.  The “Hammer” features the lyric “God helps those who swing their own damn hammer”. On “Don’t Muddy The Waters”, a gospel warning for a world that wants salvation without responsibility, Richie cries “you can’t get clean in dirty water”.

On “All That Matters”, Richie chants “everyday I run away, the  truth is all that matters, if you’re the only one changing, maybe  you’re not onstage”. “Nameless” is a narrative, “I’ve been here since the dawning…you never say my name, but you never ignore me”.

On “Trouble”, Richie groans “I don’t need trouble, I’m always on the run…you don’t meet trouble, you inherit it”. “Note To Self” is where the mirror stops lying, you can’t change them, you can  barely change yourself, “forgiveness is the final act of self-defense …just let it go”.

“Fighting For Our Sins” is where we confess, if we fall, we confess again, we never tell the truth, tell me once again, we are fighting for our sins, hiding from the truth, “it’s hard to pray when grace feels like a rumor”. On “How Long” with some great pedal steel, Richie moans that love endures without applause, “I’m still here…you  coming or not ? “.

On “Meggido”, Richie bursts out “don’t look for fire from the sky, it’s already burning in your chest”. On the closer, “The Last Song Written”, Richie croons “The stage is empty, the lights are out… I’m a traveling fool, not for hope, but because it matters, but  nobody’s listening…even silence needs a soundtrack”.

“Redemption” is filled with tales of venal sins and hymns of  hopeful compassion, alongside equal measures of justified anger  and thoughtful reflection, stark truthfulness and sardonic wit, the album is not exactly about our times, but it’s certainly for our times. While the path ahead may seem overgrown and lost, the ancient road map to “Redemption” still marks the trail.

Richard Ludmerer

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